NCsoft Launches City Of Villains

AUSTIN, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 31, 2005--NCsoft(R) North America announces that City of Villains(TM), stand-alone sequel to the hit massively multiplayer online PC game City of Heroes(R), has gone live in North America. Developed by Cryptic Studios(TM) and published by NCsoft, City of Villains introduces a host of new features including the ability to create massive evil lairs from the ground up, and player-versus-player (PvP) zones where villains can battle against hero players from the City of Heroes game.


City of Villains is available at retailers in North America at an anticipated price of US$49.99 for its standard edition and US$69.99 for the feature-packed collector's DVD edition. Both editions include the first month of online game play, and after the first month, players will be charged a monthly subscription fee of US$14.99. Earlier this month NCsoft announced that existing City of Heroes' customers can purchase City of Villains and subscribe to both games for the single subscription price of US$14.99.

"City of Villains' players should have no trouble getting in touch with their inner scoundrel," said NCsoft CEO Robert Garriott. "And since customers can play City of Heroes and City of Villains for one subscription price, it is also a tremendous value."

City of Villains was created in response to the number one request from players...to be the bad guy. Cryptic Studios has answered that request with dark and startling new costume options, and distinctly villainous missions including heists, abductions and infiltrations. In addition to the robust base creator feature, City of Villains will allow players to use their bases for special PvP base raids. Once super groups obtain and store special items of power in their bases, they will be forced to defend them from other intruding hero and villain super groups.

"Though City of Villains is packed with new features, another key difference is in how you approach your character," said Jack Emmert, creative director at Cryptic Studios and lead designer for City of Heroes and City of Villains. "Players are going to have to be more aggressive and uncompromising. They will quickly learn that survival is the name of the game, because as a villain you are going to be the target of other villains, lawful authorities, rival gangs and super powered-heroes. So the badder you are, the better you'll be."

For more information about City of Villains, go to https://www.cityofvillains.com.

About NCsoft

NCsoft North America is headquartered in Austin, Texas and is part of Korea-based NCsoft Corporation. NCsoft, with its own development and publishing offices in Texas and California, also works with subsidiaries and third party developers throughout North America to develop and publish innovative online entertainment software products. The company launched two massively multiplayer titles on the same day last year, Lineage(R) II and City of Heroes, and in April of 2005 the hit game Guild Wars(R). In the coming months, NCsoft is poised to launch two more massively multiplayer titles: City of Villains and Auto Assault(TM). More information about NCsoft can be found at https://www.PlayNC.com.

About Cryptic Studios

Cryptic Studios(TM), Inc., located in Los Gatos, California, was established in July of 2000 and is an independent developer of massively multiplayer online games for the PC and next generation consoles. Its first game, City of Heroes, launched in April 2004. The game takes place in a virtual world where thousands of people play simultaneously, take on the role of super-powered heroes, fight villains and help create a dynamic story in a visually-stunning, 3-D graphical world.

NCsoft, the interlocking NC logo, Lineage, Guild Wars, Auto Assault and all associated NCsoft logos and designs are trademarks or registered trademarks of NCsoft Corporation. City of Heroes, City of Villains, Paragon City, Rogue Isles and all associated logos and designs are trademarks or registered trademarks of Cryptic Studios, Inc. and NCsoft Corporation. Cryptic Studios is a trademark of Cryptic Studios, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.